A Vast System of Interconnected Highways: Before the Interstates By Richard F. Weingroff Table of Contents A Vast System of Interconnected Highways: ................................................................................. 1 Before the Interstates ...................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 19th Century Part 1 ......................................................................................................................... 3 The Gallatin Plan, 1807 .............................................................................................................. 3 The Bonus Bill, 1817 ................................................................................................................ 12 A Very Important Circumstance ............................................................................................... 17 Secretary of War Calhoun’s Report .......................................................................................... 19 The American System ............................................................................................................... 20 President Monroe’s Veto .......................................................................................................... 21 The General Survey Act of 1824 .............................................................................................. 31 The Corrupt Bargain ................................................................................................................. 33 The Jackson Veto ...................................................................................................................... 36 The Panic of 1837 ..................................................................................................................... 41 President Tyler’s Vetoes ........................................................................................................... 45 Polk Versus Lincoln .................................................................................................................. 51 A Worthy Object Lesson .......................................................................................................... 72 Transcontinentals ...................................................................................................................... 75 20th Century Part 2 ........................................................................................................................ 79 Pursuing Federal-Aid ................................................................................................................ 79 Imagining Road Networks ........................................................................................................ 85 Congress Takes Up the Idea ..................................................................................................... 90 National Highways Association ................................................................................................ 96 A New Good Roads Era ............................................................................................................ 98 Senator Townsend’s Bill ......................................................................................................... 102 A New President Shifts the Focus .......................................................................................... 106 Federal Highway Act of 1921 ................................................................................................. 108 The First Interstate System ..................................................................................................... 117 Visions of Superhighways ...................................................................................................... 119 The Flow of Bills .................................................................................................................... 122 Union Highways ..................................................................................................................... 131 The Freedom of the Road ....................................................................................................... 135 Italy’s Autostrada .................................................................................................................... 138 Back in the U.S.A. .................................................................................................................. 146 Other Visions of a National System........................................................................................ 150 The Townless Highway .......................................................................................................... 154 The Depression ....................................................................................................................... 164 Depression Superhighways ..................................................................................................... 167 German Superhighways .......................................................................................................... 170 PIARC Goes to Germany........................................................................................................ 172 America Reacts to the Autobahn ............................................................................................ 177 President Roosevelt and the Interstate System Part 3 ................................................................. 183 President Franklin Roosevelt—Road Booster ........................................................................ 183 Transcontinental Concepts ...................................................................................................... 192 Highway Planning Surveys ..................................................................................................... 196 The Agenda for 1935 .............................................................................................................. 198 T. E. Steiner’s Transcontinental Super Highway.................................................................... 208 Hearings on Transcontinental Highways ................................................................................ 214 Representative Randolph Tries Again .................................................................................... 217 ASCE Debates Superhighways ............................................................................................... 227 The Highway of Tomorrow .................................................................................................... 233 Balancing the Budget-1937..................................................................................................... 237 FDR Targets Highways........................................................................................................... 243 Visiting Germany .................................................................................................................... 257 Turning Point – 1938 .............................................................................................................. 259 February 1938: FDR Stokes the Flames ................................................................................ 262 Backlash .................................................................................................................................. 279 Mr. MacDonald’s Views ......................................................................................................... 285 The Traditional 2-Year Federal-Aid Bill ................................................................................ 289 Direct Route Highways ........................................................................................................... 299 Dr. Drew’s Superhighway ...................................................................................................... 307 Framework for the Future ....................................................................................................... 312 Toll Roads and Free Roads ..................................................................................................... 316 A Prophet Looks Back ............................................................................................................ 327 The Struggle Over Highway Funds ........................................................................................ 328 Object Lesson: The Pennsylvania Turnpike .......................................................................... 332 Futurama’s Magic Motorways ................................................................................................ 340 National Defense Needs .......................................................................................................... 345 Boston-to-Washington Superhighway .................................................................................... 351 Disputes Within the Partnership ............................................................................................. 354 Interregional Highways ........................................................................................................... 358 Authorizing the Interstate System ..........................................................................................